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Anastasia
Anastasia is a 1997 American animated epic musical film produced by Fox Animation Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox, directed by former Disney animation directors Don Bluth and Gary Goldman, and starring the voices of Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Hank Azaria, Christopher Lloyd and Angela Lansbury. The film is an adaptation of the legend of Grand Duchess, Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, which claims that she in fact escaped the execution of her family. Its basic plot - that of an eighteen-year-old amnesiac orphan named Anya who, in hopes of finding some trace of her family, sides with con men who wish to take advantage of her likeness to the Grand Duchess - is the same as the 1956 film by Fox, written by Guy Bolton and Arthur Laurents, which, in turn was based on the 1955 play by Marcelle Maurette. The film premiered on November 14, 1997 in New York City, and was released on November 21, 1997 in the United States, and despite the objections of some historians to its fantastical retelling of the life of the Grand Duchess, enjoyed a positive reception from many critics. From a 50 million dollars budget, the film grossed 139,804,348 dollars worldwide, making Anastasia a box office success. The film also received nominations for several awards, including two Oscars for Best Original Song (Journey to the Past) and Best Original Musical or Comedy Score. It is the most profitable film from Don Bluth and Fox Animation Studios to date. The success of Anastasia spawned various adaptations of the film into other media, including a direct-to-video spin-off film (Bartok the Magnificent), a computer game, books, toys and an upcoming stage adaptation in 2016. Plot In 1916, Tsar Nicholas II hosts a ball at the Catherine Palace to celebrate the Romanov tricentennial. His mother, the Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna, is visiting from Paris and gives a music box and a necklace inscribed with the words Together in Paris as parting gifts to her youngest granddaughter, eight-year-old Grand Duchess Anastasia. The ball is suddenly interrupted by the sorcerer Grigori Rasputin, the former royal advisor of the Romanovs until he was banished by Nicholas II for treason. Feeling betrayed and seeking revenge, Rasputin sold his soul in exchange for an unholy reliquary, which he uses to place a curse on the Romanov family, sparking the Russian Revolution. Only Marie and Anastasia are able to escape the ensuing siege of the palace, thanks to a young servant boy named Dimitri who shows them a secret passageway in Anastasia's room. Rasputin confronts the two royals outside on a frozen river, only to fall through the ice and freeze to death. The pair manage to reach a moving train, but only Marie climbs aboard while Anastasia falls, hitting her head on the platform and giving her amnesia. Ten years later, Russia is under communist rule and Marie has publicly offered 10 million rubles for the safe return of her granddaughter. Dimitri and his friend/partner-in-crime Vladimir search for a look-alike to bring to Paris and pass off as Anastasia so as to collect the reward from Marie. Elsewhere, Anastasia, now using the name Anya, leaves the rural orphanage where she grew up, having lost her memory prior to arriving there. Accompanied by a stray puppy she names Pooka, she decides to head to Saint Petersburg, inspired by the passage on the necklace she still has. In the deserted palace she encounters Dimitri and Vladimir, who are impressed by her resemblance to the real Anastasia and decide to take her with them to Paris. Bartok, Rasputin's albino bat minion, is nearby and notices his master's dormant reliquary suddenly revived by Anastasia's presence; it drags him to limbo, where the soul of Rasputin survives. Enraged to hear that Anastasia escaped the curse, Rasputin sends his demonic minions from the reliquary to kill her; despite two assassination attempts, the trio manage to (unwittingly) foil him, forcing Rasputin and Bartok to travel back to the surface. Anastasia, Dimitri and Vladimir eventually reach Paris and go to meet Marie, who refuses to see her, having been nearly fooled numerous times before by impostors. Despite this, Sophie (Marie's cousin) quizzes Anastasia to confirm her identity. Though Anastasia offers the expected answers as taught to her by Dimitri, he realizes she is indeed the real Anastasia when she vaguely recollects how a boy had saved her ten years prior. Sophie, also convinced of Anastasia's identity, arranges a meeting with Marie at the Palais Garnier Opera house, but Marie initially refuses, having heard of Dimitri's scheme to present a stand-in order to collect the reward money. Anastasia overhears the argument and angrily leaves. Dimitri kidnaps Marie and takes her to see Anastasia. When she refuses, Dimitri shows the music box that he had found at the palace to Marie, and when its music plays, Anastasia is awash with her memories, convincing Marie of her identity. The two are joyfully reunited. Marie offers Dimitri the reward money, but to her surprise he refuses it and leaves for Russia, thanking Anastasia for her return to her grandmother. That night at Anastasia's return celebration, Marie informs her of Dimitri's gesture. Anastasia, deep in thought about Dimitri, wanders onto the Pont Alexandre III where she is trapped and attacked by Rasputin. Dimitri returns to save her, but is injured and knocked unconscious while Bartok abandons Rasputin. In the struggle, Anastasia manages to get hold of Rasputin's reliquary and crushes it under her foot, destroying it. With Rasputin's soul having been tied to the reliquary, he promptly dies and disintegrates. Afterwards, Dimitri and Anastasia reconcile after Anastasia finally discovers the truth about herself; they elope and Anastasia sends a farewell letter to Marie and Sophie, promising to return one day. The couple kisses on a riverboat and Bartok shares a kiss with a female bat before bidding the audience farewell. Cast * Meg Ryan as Anastasia/Anya (sung by Liz Callaway) * Kirsten Dunst as Young Anastasia (sung by Lacey Chabert) * John Cusack as Dimitri (sung by Jonathan Dokuchitz) * Glenn Walker Harris Jr. as Young Dimitri * Kelsey Grammer as Vladimir/Vlad * Christopher Lloyd as Rasputin (sung by Jim Cummings) * Hank Azaria as Bartok * Angela Lansbury as Marie * Bernadette Peters as Sophie * Andrea Martin as Phlegmenkoff * Rick Jones as Tsar Nicholas II, Revolutionary Soldier, Servant and Ticket Agent * Charity James as Anastasia Imposter * Debra Mooney as Actress * Arthur Malet as Traveling Man and Majordomo * Ensemble and Character Vocals: Brooks Almy, Ellen Bernfeld, Judith Blazer, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Ted Brunetti, David Holt, Glen Burtnick, Vivian Cherry, Robin Clark, Victoria Clark, Madeline Doherty, Robert DuSold, Gregg Edelman, Al Fritsch, Kyle Gordon, Darius de Haas, Michael Louis Harvey, Jan Horvath, John Jellison, Kenny Karen, Curtis King Jr., Joseph Kolinski, Alix Korey, David Lowenstein, Cindy Mizelle, Bill Nolte, Michele Pawk, Billy Porter, Liza Ross, Patrick Quinn, Karen Silver, J.K. Simmons, Frank Simms, Emily Skinner, Ted Sperling, Vanéese Y. Thomas & Lillias White Songs * Once Upon a December Prologue (performed by Angela Lansbury and Lacey Chabert) * A Rumor in St. Petersburg (performed by Jonathan Dokuchitz, Kelsey Grammer and the Townspeople) * Journey to the Past (performed by Liz Callaway) * Once Upon a December (performed by Liz Callaway) * In the Dark of the Night (performed by Jim Cummings) * Learn to Do It (performed by Kelsey Grammer, Liz Callaway and Jonathan Dokuchitz) * Learn to Do It Waltz Reprise (performed by Kelsey Grammer) * Paris Holds the Key (To Your Heart) (performed by Bernadette Peters, Jonathan Dokuchitz and Ensemble * Once Upon a December Reunion (performed by Liz Callaway and Angela Lansbury) * At the Beginning (end credits) (performed by Richard Marx and Donna Lewis) * Journey to the Past (end credits) (performed by Aaliyah) * Once Upon a December (end credits) (performed by Deana Carter) International releases For information about international dubs and releases, Anastasia/International.Category:1997 films Category:1990s American animated films Category:American musical films Category:Films produced by Don Bluth Category:Films produced by Gary Goldman Category:Films directed by Don Bluth Category:Films directed by Gary Goldman Category:Film scores by David Newman Category:20th Century Fox films Category:20th Century Fox animated films Category:Half-Disney Feature Animation Category:Non-Disney animated films